Tolerance
by MurderKarp
Summary: Joey has six months to pay a large sum to a gang, or else him and Serenity are doomed. Kaiba steps in to help him, but will Joey let him? Puppyshipping, One-shot. Mature.


Author's Note: So, this is the first fanfic I've written in about...five or six years. I wrote it as a "collab" with a friend...it's in quotations because she hardly helped. _; But. It's a puppyshipping fic. c:

It was written because the two of us HATE when we're looking for yaoi, and can't find anything where the characters are actually IN CHARACTER. Hrmmmmmmmm.

Also, you may notice a few random references in the fic. They're all put in there for the girl I wrote this for. DBZ Abridged, YGO Abridged, Scott Pilgrim, and a couple (rather hilarious) inside jokes have been used in this.

So, here's my really long one-shot.

* * *

Joey's POV.

"Fuckin' punk. You better have our fuckin' money next time, goddamn brat," a gruff voice growled.

I stared at him, my vision blurred after the short fight. The male snapped his fingers, and his group of thugs began to follow him as he left the alley. They had concluded business, and did not want to stick around to see what happened to the victim of their crime. I put a hand up to my mouth, wiping away the blood that was beginning to dry.

"Shit…" I huffed, burying my face in my hands as I brought my knees to my chest. My head was pounding. I was sure I had at least one black eye, and a couple of broken ribs. It had been a five-against-one fight, and I was the unlucky one.

I pushed myself off the wall, trying to get to my feet. I felt the blood rush away from my head, leaving me lightheaded as I did so. I staggered, almost falling onto the dumpster in the alley as I did so. I groaned. Every part of me ached. I clutched my throbbing side as I tried to get out of the alley. I just needed to get out so someone would find me before I passed out.

As I hobbled out of the alley, I wondered what my friends would say if they saw me, which made my steps slow even more than they already were. It did not matter, I guessed. I picked my feet up once more, knowing better than to dwell on it. They had all seen me beaten up before. I would just pass it off as another silly fight over Duel Monsters.

I smirked, chuckling to myself. What the hell had I gotten myself into? Those thugs wanted their money. My mind wandered to the mess I was in. If I did not pay them off, I was sure as hell in trouble. I did not want to even think of what they would do to Serenity. I knew they had information on her. My jaw clenched, and I stopped moving. I looked up, and just as I did, I felt myself slip.

My body fell forward. My head smacked against the hard cement. A sharp pain shot through my head, followed by a sensation of wet liquid caking around the throbbing pain. I clawed at the cement before me, only to feel my consciousness leave me. My eyes scanned the entrance to the alleyway. If I had just taken a few more steps, I would have been safe.

"Dammit, Wheeler," I heard a voice growl from behind me. I would have turned around to see who it was, but I felt myself enveloped by darkness…

"Nyeh..?" I grunted as my eyes slowly opened. My brows furrowed. Where was I? I looked around the blindingly white room, confusion setting in. I ran a hand through my blond locks, only to find my hand grazing the synthetic, fibrous gauze wrapped around my cranium. My eyes lowered down to my left forearm, which had been encased by a golden-yellow cast to protect the bone from further harm.

The insistent beeping of the machine next to me was beginning to piss me off. My eyes narrowed into a glare at the damned machine. I wanted to toss a fist in the direction of the machine, but my fist was already bruised enough from the fight.

I could not believe someone found me in the alley. It was not like the alley was smack dab in the middle of Domino. It was in the bad part of town. No one usually went there. I wanted to find out who brought me to the hospital. I would have to thank them, but I could not help but feel some anger. A part of me had hoped I would have died in the alley. I would not have to bother with the debt I had somehow built, but I could not have left Serenity to those bastards.

I huffed, blowing air out of my nostrils. "Fuckin' pricks."

"You sound like a dog," a voice replied. I froze from my spot in the hospital cot I was in. I turned my head, locking onto the owner of the voice. My lips curled downwards into a deep grimace, my eyebrows furrowing as deep as they possibly could. Seto. Fucking. Kaiba.

"What the hell are ya doin' here?" I did not know what it was about this multi-billionaire that continuously pissed me off, but it was there. Every time I saw his face, I wanted to beat his face in. The guy had everything, yet he never smiled. It was like he did not understand how lucky he was to have all his luxuries.

Kaiba did not answer my question. He strode across the room, his briefcase clutched in one of his hands. The heels of his boots clacked against the linoleum tiles as he took long strides to the visitor's chair. He took a seat. I did not understand how it was possible to sit with the tails on the coat he wore; the coat that matched the same color of the white room. I fucking hate white.

"Should you really be talking that way to the person who saved you?" Kaiba finally asked as he crossed his legs. He had the same look he always had. His eyes bore into my soul, and his lips were a hard line. His brows knitted together as he stared at me from the seat. "You really should be thanking me. You ruined my best coat."

I growled in warning, and turned away from him. The nurse strode into the room. She squeaked, and flipped around to go tell the doctor that I had finally woken up. I felt my stomach rumbling. I must have been asleep for a few days. I was famished.

"…thank you." I grumbled, not feeling well enough to fight with him. I had too much to think about, and he was the least of my worries. If he wanted to waltz into my room and act like a fucking dick, he could be my guest. I had to start thinking of a plan. I had a debt to pay, and my being asleep meant I had that many days less to raise money. My injuries would make it even harder to find a job.

There was no way I was going to pay it off, but I had to try. I had to protect Serenity.

"What the hell happened to you?" Kaiba asked after a long moment of silence. I looked back up at him, confused as to why the hell he cared about what happened to me. I was baffled he even cared enough to come back and visit me after I got my ass handed to me.

I observed him for a moment, waiting to see if this was just a bad dream. There was no way that Seto fucking Kaiba would be in my room. If I had known better, I would have thought there was a hint of worry in the glare that seemed to be engraved into his face.

"What does it matter to you? Why are ya still here?"

"I asked you first. Answer the question."

I huffed at him once more. How the hell could he remain so calm all the time? The anger was apparent in my voice. I was sure the nurse was going to be in soon to tell me to keep it down. I had raised my voice at Kaiba. "Get out."

"I want an answer, Wheeler."

I just stared at him for another long, intense moment. This guy! Who did he think he was? If I had not been so mangled and hurt, I would have just hit him. But his unfaltering stare would not stop. "I got into a fight. Why does it matter? Not like it ain't happened before."

"I want details." He was being a persistent little shit, wasn't he? It was really getting to me. I could not stand how he thought he had a right to every little detail he wanted. I would not allow him to be entitled to the details of my life.

I stuck my tongue out at him before falling back to the pillows that I had been sleeping on. I rolled over so my back was facing him before lifting my right hand. I curled all but two fingers inward; I kept my middle digit and thumb extended upwards. Kaiba made a low noise of frustration. It sounded as if he were humming and growling at the same time.

I snickered, happy to have struck a nerve. He deserved it, even if he did save me. I already thanked him for that. I was free to hate him again.

"If you want to be like that, fine." Kaiba pushed himself from the chair. He walked over to the bed, placing something on the bedside table. I was careful to hide my curiosity as he slipped out of the room, still seething with anger.

I waited until I was sure that he was nowhere near my room before turning onto my other side. I stared at the bedside table. A vase of flowers had been placed upon it with a card sticking out from the bouquet. Next to the vase was a square, blue envelope. I fingered the envelope, running my index finger across the letters that had been scrawled on the front of it. I could not grasp what the fuck was going on.

"Joey!" I knew that voice. A smile tugged at my lips, and my hard glare relaxed. I turned my head to greet my sister as she walked into my room. "I passed Kaiba on my way in, and he told me you were awake." She sniffed as she hobbled over to me, her eyes glossing over. She looked as if she were about to cry. I propped myself up with my good elbow, patting the bed for her to take a seat next to me. She reached for my cast, running her hand over the yellow gauze.

"Hey, sis," I greeted. I grinned at her, showing her that I was fine. My head was beginning to throb again, but it was tolerable. It was from Kaiba being in the room. "You ok?"

Serenity shot me a look, as if to tell me I were crazy. Sure, I was the one in the hospital bed, but I was not the one who was on the verge of tears. "I was so scared when they called us! You've been asleep for three days!"

I chuckled, patting her on the head. "I'm fine, sis. Don't worry 'bout it." I ignored the nagging feeling that made me want to read the note that Kaiba had left for me. "No one's come after you, have they?"

Serenity shook her head as she rubbed her right eye with her hand, wiping the tears that threatened to fall away. "No…" She murmured. I felt my heart stop. I hated when Serenity cried. I forced my body to sit up so I could wrap around my arm around her. She looked up at me as I rested my chin on her head. "I…kinda told Kaiba what had been going on," she confessed.

That was the explanation I needed. The bastard had dirt on me, now. How much, I did not know, but Serenity had told him something. Perhaps that was why he was hanging around the hospital. He did not seem like the kind of guy to hang around someone he hated for three days, especially if they were unconscious the whole time.

"Please don't get mad! I didn't know what to do…and he was here when I got here." Serenity sniffled, pulling out of my arm. She moved to the chair against the wall, trying to put space between us. She turned her body, and looked out the window. The blinds were open, giving a clear view of Domino. "He asked what happened, but I didn't tell him everything. I just told him some guys were after you. I didn't tell him…" Her voice trailed off.

"It's alright, Serenity," I tried to comfort her. My little sister was all that I had. I could never get angry with her. I just wanted her safe.

"Kaiba's offered me protection. He said that if they were after you, they must be after me." She sighed, hiding her face. "He said he was going to do the same for you. He's hired some men to stay around me until we get to the bottom of this."

I stared at my hands as she spoke. I could not look up at her. I was trying to process all that was going on. Why was Seto fucking Kaiba getting in the middle of my family's business? I liked that he was helping Serenity, but the guy hated my guts. Why the fuck was he trying to protect me? I mulled this over.

"He's a good guy, Joey. He's going to pay for the hospital bill." Serenity paused to look back at me. She looked me in the eye, and I knew what she was getting ready to ask. "What do they want?"

I pushed the blankets off my legs, fed up with the beeping of the machine next to me. I reached for the chords that extended from the machine to my body. I ripped them off, and pulled the machine closer. I stared at the buttons, poking them all until it finally shut off. Serenity tapped her foot, trying to get my attention. I did not look back at her until I was happy with the silence.

"Money," I stated bluntly. "I need to get out of here so I can get it."

Serenity looked as if she were about to cry again. She had gotten into so much trouble the past few months, and I was the only one who could bail her out. Telling mom would have done nothing, and dad was busy gambling and drinking everything away. All the money I did have went towards her operation. I could not tell Yugi and them about our trouble, so dueling for the money was out of the question. I did not want to bring them into this mess.

"They said you could leave as soon as you woke up. The injuries looked worse than they actually are," she told me. I gave her a thumbs up, grinning. "You fight too hard to get injured too badly." She allowed herself to smile at me. I would do anything to make my little sister happy.

"I'm stubborn."

She giggled, covering her mouth as she did. She glanced at her wristwatch, and puffed a lip out so she could pout. "Oh, shoot!" Serenity got out of the chair. She came over to kiss my forehead. "I'm running late. I promised Duke I'd meet him for lunch…I didn't know you'd wake up today, though. I can stay, if you'd like."

I shook my head. "Nah. I'm fine, Serenity." She stared at me, as if I would show her that I did not want her to go. "Be safe, though. I dun trust those guards."

"Oh, shush. He's doing us a big favor, Joey. He's doing you a favor. You should appreciate it," she clicked her tongue afterwards to show she did not like me being so hateful towards Kaiba. It was not a one-sided hate. He hated me, too. I should be able to return that hate.

"I'll come-"

"No. Have Duke walk you straight home." I did not want her running around town unnecessarily, until I paid my dues. Her brow quivered at the seriousness of my voice. I was never this serious. She could sense the change in me. I was just worried for our lives.

Serenity opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. "See you later, Joey." She waved her hand, and left. I did not watch her leave. Instead, I reached for the card that I desperately wanted to read.

I tore the blue envelope open, my eyes hungrily scanning the contents of the card after I pulled it out. The card had Kaiba's contact information on it. It was like a business card, except addressed personally. There was a blue-eyes on the background of the card. I scowled at it. Fucking blue-eyes.

I tossed the card back onto the table. The nurse had returned to check on me.

I had spent most of the day in the hospital. I discovered that I had broken 2 ribs, as well as my right leg. I had to get four stitches in m forehead where I smacked it against the concrete. Surprisingly enough, I only had a slight concussion. All my other injuries were bruises and scratches, all which would heal quickly. They told me arrangements had been made for my release for when I awoke.

I was now sitting in the lobby in a wheelchair. Serenity had brought me a change of clothes while I had been asleep. I had assumed it was her, at least. I had on a pair of jeans and a shirt with blue details. A blue sling cradled my broken arm, keeping it elevated. My good hand twitched, tapping the armrest of the wheelchair I sat in. I hated hospitals. I was only ever in one if one of two things happened: dad had alcohol poisoning, or I get my ass handed to me, like I just had.

I just hope dad wasn't mad about me being gone the past couple of days. I hoped Serenity told him where I was. I was beginning to dread the return home, but I knew I had to. I had to get to whatever safety my 'home' offered.

"Ready, Wheeler?" I cringed at the sound of Kaiba's voice. Seto Fucking Kaiba was back. My brown eyes immediately narrowed into a glare, and my lips turned down into a scowl. I snarled at him.

"What'chu doin' here?" I did not want to see him again. I already had my dose of doucheshit today. I did not need more.

"I came to pick you up. Serenity asked me to," he stated as calmly as ever. The usual mocking tone was gone. I must be dreaming. Kaiba never showed _any_ kindness. This was becoming a nightmare.

He glided to my wheelchair. His hands gripped onto the handles of the chair, his foot kicking the brake off. I was fuming as he pushed me out of the hospital. However, I felt slightly relieved that I no longer had to stay in the hospital's cage.

"Do ya need an address?" I craned my neck around so I could look at the CEO. He kept his blue eyes staring before us. "Kaiba!"

He still did not look at me, nor did he answer. A low growl escaped from behind my grinding teeth. I assumed Serenity told him where dad's apartment was. My stomach churned at the thought of returning home.

A sports car waited in front of the hospital. He helped me into the passenger seat before loading the wheelchair into the back. He circled the car until he got to the driver's seat. He slid into the seat next to me. I fumbled with the seatbelt. I cursed at the belt as I tried to buckle it.

Kaiba made a weird 'Hrm-ing' noise at me. After buckling himself in, he reached over to help, still Hrm-ing at me. I looked away. I could smell the expensive cologne wafting off him. My cheeks heated up. The seatbelt clicked, and he got out of my personal space. Jerk. The engine purred to life before smoothly rolling across the asphalt. We sat in silence as we drove. I stared out the window. I was hoping that if I didn't look at him, I could ignore him. I dozed off as we drove. Sleep was welcomed, if it meant I could forget Kaiba.

"Wheeler." Kaiba's voice was interrupting sleep. I groaned, waving a hand at him before closing my eyes. "Hrmm…Joey."

I yawned, my tongue stretching as I did. Kaiba cocked an eyebrow. I blinked. I forgot where I was.

"Get out." I stared at him, not understanding the sudden rudeness. I could not figure this jerk out. I struggled with my seatbelt again. Kaiba watched me with a smirk. I wanted to punch him between the eyes.

"I need the chair. I can't walk."

He pointed next to the door. It was already waiting for me. I glared daggers at him, realizing he was outside the car. All this had left me a bit disoriented. One would think they would know if another person were inside the car or not.

He watched me attempt to get into the chair. The chair slipped from underneath me. My stomach dropped, and gravity pushed my body down. I braced myself for more injuries, but Kaiba grabbed my arms, holding me up. My lip quivered as I looked up at Kaiba. His hands were tearing into the flesh of my upper arms to keep me from hitting the ground.

"Be more careful, Wheeler." He pulled me into the wheelchair. I glared at my lap. I could not understand the CEO.

"Jerk," I huffed. He pushed me to the apartment. I was thankful it was on the bottom floor. I pulled my key out of my pocket as I rolled up to the door. I reached out and turned the lock so I could throw the door open. I held my breath.

Kaiba must have noticed, because he did not push me into the apartment. I did not hear anyone, so I assumed that dad was out.

"…Thanks, Kaiba…" Kaiba's eyebrow shot up as he pushed me into the foyer.

"Whatever," was his response. My eyes followed him as he left. The door slammed, and I was left alone. As usual, I was alone to think about when dad would get home, and if he would be sober or not.

I spent an hour figuring out how to work the damned chair. I ran into the wall a few times, so now my leg was throbbing. I found myself in the kitchen making myself a sandwich with one hand. I was trying to think of an excuse for my injuries. I had to go to school, and I couldn't hide the cast from Yugi and the gang. I wasn't going to bring them into this, and I didn't want them worrying about me. I didn't think a fight over Duel Monsters would stop their questions.

I decided I would just tell them I got mugged, and when they realized I had nothing of worth, they beat me up. It was believable. I would tell them the silver lining was that no knives were involved.

I finished my sandwich, and rolled into my room so I could eat. I sat the sandwich on the bed before doing the tedious task of getting onto the bed. It took a while, and I almost lost my sandwich, but I successfully crawled onto the bed. I ate my turkey sandwich in silence. I needed this solitude to prepare myself for the worst. I read a Duel Monster's magazine I had bought before I was 'mugged' to pass the time.

If I were a better duelist, I could win the money. I threw the magazine across the room. I was angry, and I was racking my brain for ideas. I had to find a quick way to get the money to pay the damned gang off. Why the hell did Serenity have to get involved with them? I was still unsure of how she got involved, but that was what got me into this situation.

My body tensed up. I heard the front door slam. "Joey!" A drunken voice slurred my name from the foyer. I looked over at my door. I rolled off the bed onto the floor, not caring that I had just slammed my broken bones against the carpet.

I crawled as quickly as I could over to the door. I pressed my back against the door, hoping I could force it shut. My knees were pressed against my sore ribs. I could hear my father stomping around and slamming doors. He called my name, but it was not long until he was at my door. I cursed, wishing that I had a lock on the damned door.

"Get yer ass out here!" He shouted, banging on the door. If I had been fit, I would have shoved my dresser in front of the door as I usually did. It was my protective barrier, and usually the drunk would not try to get passed it. "Where th' fuck ya been?"

He pounded on the door, shaking the knob. I kept my back against the door as he rammed into it. The door would open slightly, but I shoved back to keep the door from staying open.

Dad threw his body into the door again, pushing me out of the way. HE crawled through the opening before I could push back.

"Goddamn brat!" He reached for the collar of my shirt, jerking me up to my feet. I tried to keep off my cast as I balanced in front of him. "Yer s'p'ssed t'answer me!"

His fist connected with my right cheek bone. He held me firmly. I grabbed his hand, clawing at it. "I'm sorry, pops!"

He slammed his fist into my stomach, causing me to let go of his hand. The wind had been knocked out of me. I gasped, trying to regain my breath. He threw me to the side before stumbling out of the room, leaving me in a heap next to my wall. I sighed, reaching back to feel where my head hit the wall. It was not bleeding, but I think most of my left side was bruised from the force of the impact.

I heard the television click on in the living room. I was relieved to know my father's rage was over. I kicked the door shut from my spot, not daring to get up.

I did not hate my father, nor did I think any of his problems were my fault. I only stuck around, because I thought he needed someone. I thought that if he had someone, he would quit gambling and drinking. I was all the enraged drunk had. I would bail after graduation. If dad were not better by then, I would escape, if I was not dead before then, at least. Between him and the gang, I was not sure if I would even make it to that. All I could do was hope, but even my hope was beginning to die down.

I awoke the next morning from where I landed on my floor. I hobbled around the room to pull on my uniform, careful of my new bruises. I don't know why I needed the chair. I could hop with one crutch. I did not know what I was going to do about getting to school. I had not really thought any of this through. I stared at the pants from the day before. Inside the pocket was Kaiba's business card. If the dick was so eager to help, maybe I should let him?

I could not bring myself to do it. I climbed into the damned chair, not wanting to ask him for help. I rolled my chair through the house silently, not wanting to wake the sleeping beast. The only thing worst than my dad being drunk was waking him early in the morning when he had a bad hangover. He broke my arm once for doing so.

Outside the apartment, the last person I wanted to see was waiting for me.

"Wheeler," Kaiba greeted. He still looked pissed off. "I thought you might want help." He strode over to me. My jaw dropped in surprise. I was seriously getting mixed signals from this guy.

My face must have been worse than I thought from dad's beating, because Kaiba froze when he got near me. I looked down at my left arm, not having been able to throw my blue coat on yet. A grotesque bruise ran down my arm. The colors varied. I had never seen bruises so green. I assumed my face must have been worse, since it hit the wall first.

"What happened?" I ignored his question, and put a hand to my face. It stung to touch my left side, and the flesh over my cheekbone felt puffy.

"It's none of ya business," I finally barked. He growled, eyes staring right at me. I never felt like I was trying to shrink under anyone's gaze before. Not even when I was outnumbered in a fight. There was something about Kaiba that made me feel guilty about not opening up. I hated him for this, and the way he treats everyone like shit. I hate that he turns his nose up at people, yet I still feel like his opinion matters.

"Come on. Tell me," he demanded.

"Joey! Shut the fuckin' door!" I groaned at my dad's voice before shutting the door as I rolled out of the house.

"Stay out of my business." I did not want him knowing about my personal life. "I have it under control. I don't need help." I only had one more year, maybe less. I would never admit to fearing for my life, especially not to Kaiba. I was always the strong older brother, and I planned to continue that act.

"He's going to kill you one day, isn't he?" I stared up at Kaiba, my eyes wide. How could he see right through me like that? I pursed my lips, angry that my thoughts were so visible upon my face. "Why don't you try to leave?"

I growled in warning. I did not want him analyzing this as if he knows every detail. "Not everyone can afford to escape."

"Then come live with me."

"…Nyeh?"

"You heard me, Wheeler. Come. Live. With. Me."

This was how I came to live with Seto Fucking Kaiba.

Months flew by. It hardly felt like I had lived with the guy. He rarely came out to see me, since he placed me in the guest shack behind the mansion. He had hired someone to help me until my leg healed. The old hag had finally left, and the only injury left over was my hurt ego.

The gang had given me six months to pay them. I had been saving any money I came across. I got a job as soon as both legs were functional. It was lonely in the shack after the hag left, so while I was looking for jobs, I picked up a cat. He is the coolest thing.

Mittens is his name. He has long, black fur with white 'mittens' on all his paws, and white tipping his tail. He is missing half his left ear. I like to think it's a battle scar. His whiskers are bent, and crooked, and he has two different colored eyes. One is green, and the other is yellow. His right front leg does not work well, so he hobbles around on three legs. His little snaggle tooth, along with his screech of a meow won me over. He's not the most attractive cat, but he needed a home. He's real smart.

"Oh, Mittens," I cooed to the cat after he jumped onto my lap. I scratched underneath his chin, happy to have a distraction from counting my paychecks. I only had two more months, and I was nowhere near enough money.

I worked under the table, as well as a real job. I was beginning to accept that my time was limited. I hinted to Serenity to leave Domino, but I don't think she's picked any of my hints up. I was going to give all the money to her to escape if I were not able to achieve my goal. I would rather her live a long life, and I pay for her, rather than both of us.

"Joey!" I turned my attention from Mittens to the front door. Mokuba stared at me, waving his hands frantically.

"What's wrong?" Mokuba was the only Kaiba that visited me, but even that was not often. He only came over to poke fun at me. I acted like a pussy, and took it, but only because I was living in the shack for free. Hell, it was a nice shack.

"There's something wrong with Big Brother! He's been all…happy and giggly!" I thought it was just a joke, but Mokuba ran over to me. He threw Mittens off my lap.

"Hey!" I rose to my feat to follow him. I was angry at how he treated Mittens. I needed Kaiba to train his brother to respect my space, and my pet.

The younger Kaiba dragged me into the mansion. I barely had time to admire the marble floors, and the expensive décor. This was my first time in the mansion. When Kaiba had brought me to his home, he took me straight to the shack and said that was where I was to stay.

"Wheeeeeeler," Kaiba greeted once I was in the living room. A smile was on his face, and he was lying on a white sofa. His large coat was tossed across the entertainment center, for reasons unknown to me. "Hrmmm…Joey…."

What the hell was up with that weird noise?

"There's nothing wrong," I began, pushing Mokuba out of the room. I did not know what kind of drunk Kaiba was, but I did not want Mokuba in the middle of it." He's just drunk. Must have gone to a company party, or something." I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was eleven o'clock at night. Why the hell was Mokuba still awake?

"Wheeler. Get in here," Kaiba growled. He did not sound intoxicated, but his face was a light shade of pink. I pushed Mokuba out into the hall.

"Get to bed. I'll take care of him. Don't worry." I shut the door on Mokuba before turning towards Kaiba. I stepped close to the couch.

"You're drunk."

"N…no, I'm not."

I sighed, walking around the couch so I could crouch down next to him. I leaned forward, and took a deep breath through my nostrils. He reeked of alcohol. I hated that scent. I much preferred the expensive cologne.

"Come on. Let's get you to bed. You need to sleep it off." I was about to get onto my feet, but Kaiba grabbed my wrist. His blue eyes stared into my brown ones. My face heated up. I did not like when he stared at me, especially with the melancholy expression that wiped the smile off his face.

A few moments passed with us staring at each other. He let out a sigh, then moved closer to me until his lips crushed mine. My eyes became the size of saucers. I tried to pus him away, but he was pretty fucking strong…and my body felt like jell-o.

He pulled away. I threw my forearm in front of my mouth as a barrier. "Damn drunk!"

"I tolerate you," he hiccupped. He sat up, and grabbed both my wrists. I stared at him, my face still burning up. My heart raced as he leaned back in to kiss me. I don't know why, but I let him.

His tongue brushed against my lips. I parted them, letting him in. My stomach was fluttering. I fell to my knees as Kaiba pulled me onto the couch. He climbed on top of me, pushing my back against the cushions.

"Why?" I questioned as he reached for my shirt. He grunted, and appeared to be deep in thought. I shifted, allowing him to pull my shirt up over my head. He tossed it to the floor. I passed my submissiveness as my sick need to allow people to have their drunken fun with me. Kaiba needed to relieve himself.

"I already told you, Wheeler," he grunted before kissing me again. His hands roamed my torso. He was much gentler than I would have thought he would be. He pulled away for a moment. "I can tolerate you," he repeated, before licking my lips.

My brows knitted together. I reached up to push him away, but he grabbed my wrists and held them above my head. He ran his tongue across my clavicle, dipping down to my pecks. I found myself purring. He snickered, and I tried to pull my wrists out of his hands. I pulled with all my strength. There would be bruises. The damn drunk had inhuman strength.

"Are you purring?" Kaiba asked me.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that," I replied after I was able to stop.

He stared down at me." You were, weren't you?"

I looked away before nodding slowly. "…yes…"

He simply chuckled at my answer, and went to running his tongue around my nipple. I tried pulling my chest away. I wanted to sink into the couch.

"Quit it, mutt," he growled, nipping at my nipple. He nibbled on it, tugging. I groaned. Fire seemed to pump through my veins. I was disgusted by how submissive I was being. I tried to jerk away, not wanting to take it like a good little boy. I loathed the bit of me that was enjoying this; I loathed that I wanted this. I wanted to be the submissive dog for his master.

His free hand traced a line down my chest until it reached my jeans. He picked at my belt, unbuckling it before going after my button. My heart stopped when I heard the zipper being slid down. He hooked a finger under my trousers and boxers before slipping his hand inside.

"Mutt? What the hell, Kaiba," I finally gasped after suppressing my groans as he worked his hands. I pulled my hips back, my chest moving towards his lips that were tenderly kissing my chest, making designs. Every so often he would nip at my nipples again to hear me whimper.

"You bark in your sleep," he commented. He moved his lips up to my ear. His breath was warm as he nibbled on the lobe. "So, bark for me, Wheeler. You're my mutt."

I never knew I barked in my sleep. I growled at him, wondering when he ever heard me sleep. It must have been when he brought me home from the hospital. I was embarrassed that he had heard me bark. Fucker.

His fingers grazed a sweet spot. A loud bark escaped my lips. Kaiba smirked, and worked around the spot. I whimpered like a dog, bucking my hips as I did so. He teased it, trying to piss me off. He moved his hips down to grind against mine to put more pressure on the spot, causing me to bark again. I never noticed my dog-like tendencies.

"That's right. Bark, mutt," Kaiba snickered.

I had reached my limit. The fire concentrated in my lower abdomen, and my body released. My muscles relaxed, and I began panting. Kaiba reached for my shirt, which had landed on the ground, and wiped his hand on it. He leaned forward to wrap his strong arms around me, placing one last kiss on my lips.

"My mutt…" he grumbled before falling to sleep.

I sighed, confusion finally setting in. What just happened? Kaiba showed nothing but anger towards me when sober…and I could not deny that I had enjoyed events. Well, I would deny it to Kaiba, but not to myself. I closed my eyes, shoving the thoughts out of my head. I did not enjoy it! Kaiba assaulted me, and I would confront him about it.

I shifted, wriggling around beneath the lanky CEO. He did not budge. I found it impossible to get out from underneath him. I continued shifting around until I realized I would have to wait for him to get himself off of me.

I fell asleep in the position with my arms wrapped around Kaiba. It was not because I wanted to, but so I could get into a comfortable position.

Sunlight shone on me from behind the drapes. I rubbed my eyes, and glanced around the room to see where I was. I was still in the living room, but Kaiba was missing. I propped myself up on the couch, still rubbing the sleep away.

Mittens ran into the room. He jumped onto my lap, and rubbed up against me. His purr filled the room, which had been silent only moments before.

"How did you get in here," I asked the cat as I scratched underneath his chin. He propped himself up on my chest so he could lick my chin. "We gotta get out before Kaiba finds out."

"Before I find what out, Wheeler?" How did he know when to show up?

I grabbed Mittens, pulling him to my chest. "Mittens got in."

"I let him in. Where the hell did you find the ugly rat?"

I glared at Kaiba. No one insulted Mittens. He had become my family. "I got lonely and decided to check the pound."

"And you picked up the ugliest creature you could find? Why didn't you get a dog?" I shot him another glare.

"I didn't make it to the pound."

"…You picked _it_ off the street? Get rid of it!"

"But…" I paused to think of something," I've bonded with him. He has my scent on him, so his mother won't take him back…he's taught me the meaning of love!"

Kaiba glared disapprovingly at me. I stuck my tongue out. Mittens was not going anywhere. His place was with me.

"Keep him out of my office."

"Don't I always? He's been in my shack the whole time…why _did_ you bring him in?"

"I've moved you into a room in this house," Kaiba stated.

My jaw dropped at the statement. He was not fazed by my reaction. I clenched my teeth together, balling my fists up.

I threw an accusatory finger towards him, "You assault me, then you move me in with you-"

"You could have pushed me off whenever you decided you did not want it."

I silenced myself. He was too strong to push off! I had tried to. Besides, what he did was more than being 'tolerant' of me. Mittens made a screeching meow that broke the long silence.

"Do I have any say on my moving into the Kaiba household?"

"No. Do you want me to show you to your room, or will you sniff it out yourself, mutt?"

I growled at him, pushing myself off the couch. I walked passed Kaiba, shoving him out of the way as I did so. "I'd rather sniff it out."

"Don't piss on the carpet, mutt. I expect you to be housebroken by now."

I stomped away from him, going in a random direction. I still kept Mittens pressed against my chest as I stomped off. I hated Seto fucking Kaiba. I wandered around the mansion, not knowing where to go. I wanted to find my room so I could shove Mittens in there, but wound up in Kaiba's office.

A mischievous grin tugged at the corner of my lips. I opened the door and slipped into the room. I shut the door behind myself so I could creep over to the mahogany desk on the far end of the room. His home office was huge. It was the size of my shack. How the hell did he decide he wanted such a large room? I shuffled over to the desk. I ran a hand along the smooth wood, walking around the desk until I was behind it. I sat down on the large, black armchair. I set Mittens down on the desk.

"I'm going to leave you in here for a while, kay? Make me proud," I told him before looking at the desk. It was kept neat. Not a paper was out of place, or sticking out of the tidy stacks. There were hardly any stacks of paper on the desk. I expected the CEO to have more going on in the office than the few, random piles.

I reached for the piles, and began mixing them up. I sorted the piles messily, and shoved a few into the top drawer of the desk. He deserved it. Assaulting me, and claiming I wanted him to! The jerk. I had enough of Kaiba, and although I appreciated the housing, I liked having my freedom of choice. Two months of freedom compared to a life time with a collar seemed more appealing to me.

Mittens curled up on the desk after I finished shuffling the papers around. I patted his head. "See you in a little while, pal." I thought I caught the cat nodding, but I knew he did not. The cat was real smart, but I knew he could not show understanding like that.

I slid out of the room, careful to make sure Kaiba was not around as I did so. I would hate to be caught in the middle of my act. I shoved my hands in my pockets, and headed down the hallway to see if I could find my room.

I finally found the room that I assumed was mine. All my shit had been shoved into it, not that I even had a lot. The room was of decent size. It was large, but it was not absurdly large. I belly flopped onto the bed. I did not question how Kaiba had gotten all my personal items from the shack and was able to put it all away so nicely over the course of a few hours. I pulled a pillow to my body so I could bury my face into it.

Now, it was time to think about my little money issue. I had less than two months to make 600,000 yen to pay Serenity's debt off. The debt that became mine. I rolled over onto my back, sighing. I was nowhere near the amount. I had thought of asking Kaiba for help, but I could not bring myself to doing that, even if it was for Serenity. None of this was for me. I could care less what happened to me. All I cared was that my sister was safe.

I used to be part of a gang a few years back. They did not like that I left, and when they found out I had a sister, they went after her. They said they would not leave her alone until I paid them. They had gone from being mere punks to being a well-known gang, and being connected to them was bad for me. They figured that since I had been high up in the ranks, I owed them for leaving them like that. They threatened my sister, and I promised to pay them if it meant that they would leave her alone.

All of this was my fault. I had to solve the problem myself. I glanced at the electric clock that had been placed on a nightstand next to my bed. I had to work that night, and I was just waiting for nine to roll around. I had a little under the table work. I got paid a decent sum, but it was not enough to get me to the absurd amount that I needed to get to.

"WHEELER."

It was about time that Kaiba found Mittens. I jumped off my bed so that I could walk down the hall to Kaiba's office. I shoved the door open, only to find him sitting on his chair, staring at Mittens. The cat was sitting on the papers, staring up at him. I crossed my arms, cocking an eyebrow.

"What is it?" I asked, shutting the door as I walked in.

"What the hell is this rat doing in here?" he barked at me, pointing at Mittens. Mittens licked his paws to clean his face off innocently. I chuckled.

"He must have got in here some how. He's a tricky thing."

"Get it out. I'm allergic to cats."

I rolled my eyes, scooping Mittens up in my arms. "You're not allergic to cats. You just don't like them."

He reached for my arm, jerking me forward so that I was at eye level. I glared at him, my lip pulling up so I could snarl at him. He had no right to treat me like this. He was a spoiled little rich kid.

"Let go of me," I warned, pulling my arm away. I dropped Mittens. The cat must have sensed the tension, because he ran off. I slammed my hand on his desk, still tugging at his strong hold. "Let me the fuck go."

"Make me," he dared, returning my glare. We stayed frozen. Neither of us broke the stare off. We both wanted to win the little argument. I was determined to not let him get his way.

"Fine," I hissed, deciding to do what he had done to me. I pushed myself forward, kissing him hard. I kept my eyes on his, showing that I was pissed. He was surprised by my move. His grip loosened on my wrist. I quickly wrenched it from his grasp, and then raised my hand only to have it fly into his cheek. The smack echoed in the office.

He was not surprised, and the displeasure was apparent on his face. He shot up, the chair rolling back into the wall. I stepped back, crossing my arms across my chest. I smirked at him, sticking my tongue out as he walked around to get to me.

"I'm tolerant of you," I mocked. Something about the way I said that must have made him snap, because he pounced on me. His body smacked against mine, causing us both to fall to the floor. I struggled to get away from him. A few times I would get my hands out of his grasp, and smack him again, only to have him return the hits twofold.

We continued like this until we found ourselves kissing. I had no idea what was going on, but the rage had erupted into lust. We rolled around the floor, aggressively kissing as each of us tried to overpower the other.

Our relationship had quickly shifted gears. A very thin line separated love and hate, and the two of us balanced on the line. We continued like this for the last two months. We would bicker, and the fighting would lead to us making love. I never became the completely submissive partner. I always fought back, and a few times I almost overpowered him. I was the dog that was not quite ready to listen to his master, and Kaiba was the impatient master that would beat his little mutt if it did not do as he wanted.

Mokuba never found out, and the relationship never left the house. He would take his daily frustrations out on me, and I would take my frustration over my impending doom out on him. Our relationship just worked, even if it was fucked up. We both needed it.

We never spoke about what we did. It just happened. We never reflected back on it, either. It was as if it were just a dream. Even though I knew my feelings were beginning to shift from a lust for him to a form of love, I never voiced it. I did not want it to be one-sided, and I did not want to admit to having any form of 'like' for the jerk. He was still as douche-y as ever. He showed no kindness towards me, except when I allowed him to overtake me.

My two months were up, and I had not scrounged up enough money to pay for Serenity's life. I had told her to stay with the Kaiba's that night so that he could get her to safety once my body turned up. The meeting had been set for that evening, and I was prepared to face them penniless.

I slipped into Kaiba's office, a serious look on my face. I had decided that I wanted to see if he thought this fucked up relationship was anything but us being fuck-buddies. I at least deserved that much after the six months of working my ass off only to have my life end so quick. He did not look up at me. He put a hand up, showing that he was in the middle of something and he would answer me in a moment.

Fucker. I wanted his full attention on me. I despised when he treated me like a dog. I only pretended to be one, and he knew it.

A bottle of wine was on his desk, as well as a full glass of the red liquid. The bottle was half-full, and I could tell by the way Kaiba was slouching over his desk that he was beginning to feel the buzz. The CEO could hold his liquor. He drank when he was having a stressful time at work. It was easy to tell when he had wine by the way he moved. His movement was less stiff, and his body language did not convey that he was 'high and mighty' as it usually did.

It sickened me that I had observed so much the past two months.

"Guess who's drunk?" Kaiba chuckled, leaning back in his chair after he finished whatever he was working on.

I stepped up to the chair that sat in front of the desk, kicking Mittens' cat bed away so I would not sit on it. Kaiba had come to enjoy the cat. "I guess Kaiba?"

"You guessed right…guess what's going to happen to Joey."

"I guess sex."

"You're a great guesser," he said as he got up from his chair.

He walked to me, and pulled me to my feet. I growled, trying to pull away. I did not want this go as it usually did. I did not want us to fight. I did not want any bickering, nor did I actually want the sex. What I wanted was a one worded answer to the burning question I had, and I was determined to get it. I yanked his hands off of me, stepping back.

Kaiba frowned at me, crossing his arms. I clenched my fists, turning my head away so I could stare at the floor.

"What the hell, Wheeler?" he growled, stepping closer to me. He was cautious with his movements. He knew that if I were truly pissed off, that I could do some damage. We had given each other bruises before, and even broke skin with our fists during our little fights.

"I…" I sighed, not knowing how I was going to put my question. I could not find the courage to voice my feelings. I was never good at voicing anything but friendship or anger, and my brotherly love for my sister. "What the hell is this?"

Kaiba stared at me for a long moment, seeming to contemplate my question. His lips formed a displeased line, and his eyes burned with some kind of desire. He wanted me, and I knew it. However, I could tell he had the same question.

"It's called sex, you said so yourself," he finally answered with a level voice. His body straightened up, and he had the serious demeanor he always had. "What is with the sudden uncertainty?"

I finally looked up at him, my lip quivering. My brows knitted together, and I could not keep my composure. My heart hurt by the insincerity he was showing me. I never felt anything but a type of friendly love for anyone, yet Seto fucking Kaiba had gotten further than that over the course of two months. The one sentence had shattered any hope I had that he may have shared the same feelings.

"Fuck," I growled, snorting as I shoved my hands into my pockets. "Just get it over with."

Kaiba did not like the sound of me not wanting him. He reached out for my shirt collar, and jerked me forward. I glared up at him, snarling as I did so. My hands reached out for his throat, my fingers curling around him.

"Fuck, Kaiba! Let me go!" I hissed, only making him angrier. He pulled my hands from his throat with his free hand, forcing them down between us. He knew the only cure for my anger. He leaned in to gently kiss me on the forehead before leaving a tender trail of kisses down to my mouth. My body immediately relaxed, and I let him kiss me.

He slipped his tongue into my mouth, and released my hands. I wrapped my arms around his neck, forcing my body to press up against his. My body and mind wanted him to search my body. My body wanted him to roam his hands all around me, but my mind wanted to know that he felt anything but 'tolerance' or lust for me. This was fucked up. I did not want this to be a lust-based relationship. I wanted more, and if I could not get more, I needed to break it up.

However, it was nearly impossible for me to pull myself away from him. There was something about him that made me want to give him what he wanted. I tried to put up a fight, showing that I was conflicted, but Kaiba kept kissing me. He was getting aggressive, and I could tell that he wanted to skip any of the foreplay.

"Just do it," I groaned as he moved to put a hand up my shirt.

"Some one's antsy," he cooed, pulling his hand out from underneath my shirt.

"Shut the fuck up, an' do it," I hissed at him.

Kaiba snickered, sitting on the chair. He pulled me down on top of him, and went after my jeans. He slipped them down, as he kissed them. I followed his example, going after his own slacks. We kissed each other hungrily, trying to over power the other. I growled at him, pulling away so that I could position myself on top of him. I pushed myself up and down slowly at first, and then quickly picked up speed.

Warmth pumped through me as I forced him as deep into me as I could. I would bark and growl, and Kaiba would just chuckle at me as he kissed me. We continued like this until we both reached the climax of our session. We hugged each other, panting as we did so. We were both exhausted.

"I love you," I finally found the courage to say.

Kaiba pushed me away, his eyebrow shooting up as he looked into my eyes. The corners of my lips turned downwards. I must have looked like a mutt left in the rain, but it seemed as if it didn't affect him at all.

"What?" His eyes narrowed, and he pushed me off of him.

"You heard me, Kaiba," I whimpered, pulling my pants up so that I could have some dignity. "I love you…I just wanted you to know that."

"Get the hell out of here," Kaiba about shouted at me.

I felt as if my heart had been crushed. His anger towards my feelings hurt. I felt as if I had been kicked to the curb.

"Heh. I'm one step ahead of ya," I whimpered, my head hung low as I sauntered to the door. My hand rested on the knob, "You'll never see me again after tonight. I promise ya."

I turned to give him a genuine smile. Kaiba looked as if he was about to tell me to stop, but I left the room before he could. I had to get to the abandoned warehouse. I was supposed to be there in thirty minutes, and it would take me twenty to walk there…

The gang was already waiting for me at the warehouse when I got there. I strutted in, a hand in my pocket. The leader stood, a displeased frown upon his face as I walked in.

"Do ya have it?" He asked me as I walked in.

I scanned the room. All the big members of the gang were at the warehouse to protect the boss. They all were dressed nicely. It was a big change from how the gang used to look back when I was apart of it. Most of them I didn't even recognize. I turned my nose up at him. If I were to die here, I was not going to beg for mercy. I was going to piss them off even more.

"Hell no," I replied bluntly.

The boss snapped his fingers, and pointed towards me. The rest of the members started creeping close to me. I turned towards the first one that got within arms-reach of me, and slugged him in the face. The guy fell back, and the rest ran towards me. A fist connected with my jaw. I staggered backwards, and someone kicked me behind my knees. My knees buckled beneath me, and I fell onto the ground. I prevented my face from hitting the ground by throwing my arms out in front of me.

The members created a circle around me, and began kicking me while I was on the ground. One of them had a metal bar, and they slammed it on my leg. I barked as I felt the bone break. I heard footsteps clack against the cement towards me as the lower members slammed their legs into me over, and over.

"Break it up," the boss hissed. I looked up at him, my eyes half lidded after getting kicked. He slipped a hand into his coat, and pulled out a gun. Two of the members grabbed my arms, lifting me up to my knees. The boss held the gun towards me. "You should have brought me the money, but I guess your sister will suffice. I have some buyers lined up already."

I spit at him, the saliva landing on his polished boot. He glared at me, and pulled the trigger. I closed my eyes as the gun echoed. I groaned, the bullet making contact with my chest. Everything went white. I gasped, and the men let go of me. I slumped to the ground, and blood began to pool around me from the wound. I clasped a hand on the wound. I glared at the boss as he stepped away from me, lighting a cigar, and putting it in his mouth.

"God dammit, Wheeler!"

I tried to find the owner of the voice, but my mind slipped away…

I awoke to the noise of an annoying beeping noise. I groaned, trying to get up, but finding it near impossible to move my body without pain shooting through me. I opened my eyes, scanning the blindingly white room as I did. Kaiba was sitting next to my bed, slouching backwards. He was asleep.

"K…Kaiba?" I whispered, my voice hoarse.

He stirred in his sleep, taking a deep breath. Kaiba's head lifted so he could look at me before his body shot straight up. He leaned over the bed, reaching for my broken hand. His brows furrowed as he stared at me, worry splattered across his face.

"Wheeler," he whispered, making sure I really was awake.

"What…what happened? Why am I not dead?"

"I followed you when you left. I stayed outside, but then I heard a gunshot…and, I brought you to the hospital." His eyes glossed over. He looked as if he was about to cry, and I could not figure out why. I lifted a hand to caress his cheek, sighing. "You almost died."

I pulled my hand away, and stared at the ceiling. I laughed as I did so. My laugh became a cackle. I was alive. It felt great. I had been sure that the bullet would end my life. My laughs became a cough as a pain shot through my chest. I clapped a hand over it.

"Thanks," I finally said after the pain subsided. "How badly injured am I?"

"Your hand's broken, and so is your right leg. You've got a few broken ribs, and they had to remove the bullet from your chest." He reached for my good hand, taking it with his to pull it away from the bandaged wound. "You lost a lot of blood, but you'll be fine once everything heals."

I nodded, trying to sit up. Kaiba made me stay down. He shook his head at me. He still looked worried. I could not comprehend why he was treating me so tenderly after having told me to get the hell out of his home.

"I love you," he finally said.

My mouth opened slightly. The sentence surprised me. I was at a loss of words. "You love me now that I'm injured, or you always have?"

Kaiba shook his head at me, looking guilty. "I always have," he grunted. He looked away, moving away from me. He did not want to look at me as he spilled his guts to me. "I just couldn't face it. I mean, I honest to God hated you until I found you in the alley six months ago."

"And you decided then you liked me?"

"I decided I could tolerate you…but then when I got drunk, that's when I decided I wanted you, but I knew I loved you the month after."

I stayed silent to absorb the conversation. I could not believe he was confessing to me like this. I was still hurt by the way he had treated me, but knowing that my love was not one-sided made me feel a strange happiness. I grinned at him.

"So…does that mean we get to date?" I asked him, only jokingly.

"You're already living with me, so, I guess," he answered sincerely.

I blinked, my face heating up. I turned away from him, not wanting him to feel any pleasure over embarrassing me. The jerk.

"I guess I love you too, Kaiba," I told him.

The two of us stared at each other for a long while. This was the beginning of a relationship that would last a lifetime.

* * *

Okay, before anyone jumps down my throat about the 2 month, 6 month time frame in it, Joey and Kaiba only live in the mansion together for 2 months. Joey lives in the shack for 4 months, and he mentions that Kaiba NEVER visits him in the little shack of a home he has. I just wanted to point that out, because my proof-reader buddy/girl I wrote this for was REALLY confused about that. xD


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